Events

Dr. Phil Puts Thornton Mother Accused Of Leaving Children To The Test

DENVER (CBS4) – This past January a young mother from Thornton left her two children in the car and disappeared for 13 hours. Sarah Hatfield was found disoriented 13 miles away. She claimed amnesia.

Dr. Phil put Hatfield’s story to the test on TV with a polygraph test on Friday.

CBS4 first covered Hatfield’s story when she was missing and then when she was found wandering near National Jewish Hospital. Her husband believed she had had a seizure that left her with amnesia.

“No strange behavior, she’s a wonderful mother. There has never been any issues, there’s never been any evidence that she’s been anything but a great mother,” her husband said.

Hatfield talked about her 4-year-old son asking why she left him.

“All he would say is, ‘Mommy, you lost me,’ ” she said.

But Dr. Phil appeared not to believe the story of amnesia.

“Tell me if you know more about this than you’re letting on,” he told her. “No, I’ve been honest from the beginning,” she responded.

Dr. Phil set Hatfield to take a polygraph test.

“I’m feeling a little nervous, but okay,” she said.

She likely didn’t feel okay when she heard the results of the test.

“To come across as truthful you would have had to score a plus four. You were a minus 13,” Dr. Phil said.

Hatfield’s husband said a contract with the Dr. Phil show prevents him from saying much about the show. He did say that daytime TV is not about getting to the truth but only about entertainment. He also said he loves and believes his wife.

Hatfield is due back in court in September. She’s facing two counts of child abuse.